I just finished reading Libba Bray‘s Going Bovine. What a ride! It’s about a teen who gets mad cow disease and goes on the road trip of his life in search of a cure. If you’re up for physics mixed with myth mixed with music and don’t mind a bit of head-spinning along the way,…
Say “Yes” to Your Writing!
A very accomplished author friend of mine recently sent me an email in which she told me she’d just received a contract for a picture book. She mentioned how relieved she was, after months of waiting, to finally have a new contract. An illustrator friend (with more than fifty books to his credit) told me…
The Importance of Morning
For the past few mornings, I’ve been getting outdoors earlier. The sky is just beginning to brighten. Light has a different quality–a freshness–as if the world creates itself anew each day. Energy shimmers at the threshold between darkness and light. It seeps into me and I think, “Why don’t I do this every day?” Why…
The Non-Death of the Picture Book
Yesterday while browsing in Borders I came across a display on which was featured Lane Smith’s new title, It’s a Book. Although it’s a bit snarky for young kids, everyone who loves picture books should read it–or, better yet, buy it. Cause, let’s face it, if we don’t buy books–those of us who claim to…
A Closed Bottle
I just went to the sink and refilled my water bottle, then, unthinkingly screwed the lid back on and lifted the bottle to my lips. Duh! It’s hard to drink from a closed bottle, I chided myself. Impossible, really, I thought as I wandered back toward the twin bed here in Cabin 20 at the…
Dear Eva, Thanks for All the Aunts!
One of my favorite children’s book authors, Eva Ibbotson, has passed away at age 85. In reading an interview she gave not long before her death, I found this quote about the publication of her first book (which I hope will encourage all the yet-to-publish): “I must have been nearly 50 before it was published. I…
Breaking into Highlights
If you’re looking to break into Highlights, one of the best tips I know is to analyze the magazine’s mission and make sure that your submission relates directly to something in the mission statement. The Highlights mission statement can be found on page 4 of every issue, and this is what it says: This magazine of…
What “About Me”?
I read a lot of authors’ “About Me” pages on the Net, and I always read the author information on jacket flaps of the books I love. As a kid, I didn’t have a clue where books came from . . . that name on the front or the spine was simply a way to…
Mining Your Memories
I’ve been gathering writing prompts and tips for my upcoming Chautauqua workshop on Mining Your Memories and thought I’d share a few. Writers who want to craft authentic works must be willing to dive into the well of personal experience. Whether you’re crafting fantasy or nonfiction, your experience matters . . . especially your emotional…
“Chill”ing at My Cabin
A frigid wind has been blowing for the last two days, plummeting down the hills and dipping into the valleys like a kid on a snowboard who hasn’t yet noticed it’s summer, not winter. I’ve had to close the windows in my cabin and take long walks and hot soaks to keep my joints from…
Cozies & Kim Griswell 